Indicating Double Home Runs Correctly in Revit MEP

Revit MEP will allow you to indicate double home runs when circuiting electrical fixtures.  This can be done by simply dragging a home run arrow from one electrical circuit to a fixture that is on a different circuit. The result will show a double arrow head on the home run and the circuit tag will call out both circuits.

Two Single Home Runs

Double Home Run

The one thing that has always bugged me about this is that Revit would also still show the home run arrow head tying the two circuits together.  Every time I taught this, I was asked how do you get rid of the arrow head tying the two circuits together?  Up until today, I did not think you could.  I have now found a way and it is very simple.

All you have to do is to duplicate the plan using the Duplicate with Detailing.

As soon as the plan is duplicated the arrow head goes away.

Double Home Run Without Extra Arrow Head

The only downside is that the duplicated plan must remain in the project.  If the plan goes away then the arrow head comes back.  Weird, but it solves the mystery of how to turn off the unwanted arrow head.

What's the best 3D mechanical design software package? It's in the way that you use it...

I read an article a few days ago that blew my mind. It turns out that Microsoft's "Bing" search engine has fallen to 5th place among internet search engines - which begged the question, "who's in the top 5?" Predictably, Google was first, followed by China's Baidu (volume, of course), then Yahoo, and in 4th place? Drum roll, please.....

Yandex. Ponder that for a moment, as the tumbleweeds silently blow across your mind. Granted, I'd never heard of Baidu either, but the reason that Russia's Yandex search engine has surpassed Bing isn't necessarily because it's better, or because there are more Russian speaking people than English. It's quite the opposite - to the casual observer (me in this case) Yandex doesn't "pop", or provide better information than Bing. To test my theory, I did a simple search on both engines using keywords "Atlanta Braves", and Bing was far superior in content, style, and the general layout.

While reading the article, I started thinking, "poor Microsoft - first the Zune, now Bing". Remember the Zune? Microsoft's answer to the iPod? By all comparisons (sales, functionality, style) it's been a colossal failure. However, they're still being made, and those who've chosen Zunes and (most importantly) mastered the features absolutely love them.

So what do search engines and mp3 players have to do with 3D mechanical design software? As Eric Clapton once said, "it's in the way that you use it". A trusted colleague at Autodesk once told me that when comparing software packages for 3D design, the best design package is the one that you've received training on - plain and simple.

The Yandex users, just like those who swear by their Zunes, certainly could choose Bing or iPods, but took on the task of learning how to use the tools, and now, they swear by them. And in fairness to Solidworks, Pro-E and other 3D tools that I believe (shocking) are inferior to Autodesk Inventor, with the proper introductory AND ongoing new feature training, any 3D mechanical design software is better than another WITHOUT proper training. Features in a software package are nice, but without knowing how to use them, they can't become benefits.

So I took a long route to get around to the main point here. But the next time you see someone who thinks that their Zune is better than the tricked out Gen5 32gb iPod you just bought, just remember - it's in the way that you use it....

Did something change with Revit 2012 overnight? No but something did change with Windows! A Microsoft Windows update changes the color scheme in Revit 2012. How to fix? Turn off Hardware Acceleration in Revit 2012 or uninstall a specific Windows update. See link below for more details. However, there may be one more reason for the color change not mentioned in the link below. On one of our lab computers, upgrading to IE10 also affected the color scheme. Revit 2013 is not affected by the Windows update.

 

LINK: Color Change in Revit 2012 after Updating Windows 7

Revit Shared Origin Survey Startup Base Location…

What? The title of this blog doesn’t make sense. Now that I have your attention, here we go.  You may know about Revit’s Project Base Point (PBP) and Survey Point (SP). Did you know there is another point called the Startup Location? Be default, the PBP and SP are located on top of the Startup Location. What is the Startup Location used for? It’s used for linking models ORIGIN-TO-ORIGIN. Revit does not use the PBP to link models origin-to-origin. How does this work with Shared Coordinates? It doesn’t. So, keeping Shared Coordinates out of this blog, I want to clarify something very very important. If you are an engineer and want to link the Architect’s project file origin-to-origin, you need to do this before you start the engineering model. This will ensure that the Revit models line up exactly. However, if a structural engineer lays out column grids without the architects model and then links files later, origin-to-origin will not work. If this happens, the only way to deal with linked files is to use Shared Coordinates. The engineer will only waste time trying to move the PBP and linking models using origin-to-origin.  And finally, never, I repeat never move the building. I’ve read blogs on how to move a building using infinite view ranges. This does not work; details items cannot be moved this way and you will only cause more problems. Again, use Shared Coordinates. I will save Shared Coordinates for another blog.

Preparing for "Next Generation" Manufacturing - and the "End of Days" for the traditional drafter

I generally catch up on my "business" reading on Sunday mornings with a bottomless cup of coffee and jazz, and though it wasn't news to me, an article I read this morning pointed out once again the importance of keeping up with technology and taking some of the associated risks with becoming an "early adopter".

The article, entitled "Are You Prepared for the Next Generation of Manufacturing?", written by Warren Smith (an industry consultant with Infor), is the first of a series being posted on the Industry Week website. The message to manufacturers is that understanding (and in my opinion, adopting) the key technologies leading the industry today is essential to take on the future of manufacturing. In this competitive market, a vendor can't rely on long standing relationships and customer service to hold on to business - loyalty in the rapidly changing future will be dictated by attention to meeting shorter deadlines, better predicting product performance, and providing innovation that companies need before the end users think of it themselves. 

I'll go a step further and state that manufacturers had best pay attention to these trends in order to stay competitive, or many will not survive.

First in the author's findings was a stunning fact about the incorporation of the robotic workers - at a labor cost of $4 per hour, a robot can now perform tasks at less than that of an overseas worker. And with a point of entry at around $20k, a robot can provide 3 or more years of service - without the need for health plans, paid vacations, etc. At one time, the robotic worker was a pipe dream for the SMB manufacturing market. Now, it's a viable alternative to placing ads, interviewing people and hoping for a reliable (gast!) human employee.

Second, Mr. Smith discusses how additive manufacturing is lowering development costs, increasing innovation and protecting intellectual property. We've all seen movies and TV shows where a 3D design is pushed to a printer and within seconds the model is in use - though the printers aren't quite that fast, the era of affordable, high detail, and yes, desktop 3D printing is here.

I look forward to the second part of the article, but these two trends alone signal that the days of 2D drafting are nearing the end. After all, you can't virtually test and prototype a design drawn in 2D CAD. So if you're not designing in 3D now, you'd better start soon. Who knows? You could end up designing a "worker" for your company's manufacturing shop floor....

The customer isn't always right - and why that's a good thing

You hear it everywhere you go - "the customer is always right". And when you take time to put the comment into different contexts, it can be construed in a number of ways. But with the rapid evolution of 3D design and printing technology, in the context of design and engineering processes, this statement is entirely untrue.

Take food as an example. I was watching a show on the Travel Channel called "Chowdown Countdown" a couple of days ago. It featured their list of the top 100 restaurants in America, and among them was a place in Chicago called "Superdawg". Their specialty is, you guessed it - hot dogs, and their business is world renowned. But forget asking for modifications, or ketchup - the Superdawg staff will promptly tell you no. The owners are proud of their creation, and insist that any changes would ruin the Superdawg.

The world famous Superdawg, served with all the trimmings - golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a memorable hot pepper - but NO KETCHUP!


Another restaurant on the show, Grimaldi's Pizzeria (located in Brooklyn) routinely has customers lined up around the block for their authentic pies. But prominently displayed on the front door is a sign saying "NO SLICES". You get an entire pizza, or nothing.

So how do the behaviors of restaurants relate to 3D design? Customers call in asking for AutoCAD on a daily basis, and when asked to go with industry specific solutions like Inventor or Revit, insist that they know best how to get their work done. Meanwhile, their competitors leapfrog ahead of them, shortening development cycles, creating more innovative products, and most importantly, taking market share.

Our role as consultants is to stay up to date on new technology, observe the practices of "Best in Class" manufacturers, and challenge our clients to evolve their "tried and true" workflows. Encouraging clients to become early adopters of software and processes that will satisfy current design needs, but sustain their business for the rapidly changing future is a responsibility that any account manager/consultant should hold as paramount.

And along with being the differentiator between a salesperson and a business partner, it's also why I contend once again, that the customer isn't always right - and clients who "get it" will agree that, like the yummy Superdawg, it's quite a good thing.

My Top 5 Sources for Autodesk Services and Support

Or as I'm frequently asked, "just where the heck did you find that?"

In my role as an account manager, I do my level best to provide our clients with as much direct help as possible with their software, be it installation issues, error messages, or general "how-tos". After all, when it comes to the world of "been there, done that", I realize that when a designer

• Gets the blue screen of death
• Can't remember the system variable that controls item selection settings in AutoCAD (it's PICKADD, by the way)
• Is tasked with doing something with the software he/she has never done

time is MONEY. And in many cases, there may be a project deadline hanging in the balance, or a Project Manager hanging over your shoulder saying "hey, you're the Inventor expert - this is what I hired you to do, so make it work!"

So in an effort to empower the legions of CAD users who are either short on time, can't get Sean Dotson or Lynn Allen on speed dial, or haven't convinced management to pay for Inventor training yet, here goes...my Top 5 Sources for Autodesk Services and Support.

1. Project based implementation with a Platinum designated Autodesk Partner - designing in Inventor, Revit or even AutoCAD to a new user without proper assimilation of the software into a training program designed to fit your workflow is akin to giving a Gulfstream to an untrained pilot and saying, "fly me to Paris - you've got 9 hours". Platinum Partners (like Applied Software) have invested heavily in their technical teams, and have decades of industry experience. The investment will pay for itself many times over, and is often subject to tax credits, depending on the state you live in.
2. Advanced Subscription Support from Autodesk - provided that you are already a subscription customer for your software, you can choose (for a small fee) to add unlimited toll-free phone, remote desktop and API assistance to your contract (click this link - Autodesk Advanced Support for more details). The support personnel are seasoned Autodesk technical specialists, and if you're a Suites customer, all products in your Suite are covered.
3. Autodesk WikiHelp (http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/enu) - A Wiki site for Autodesk products you say? Oh yes, CAD geeks. Consider this a must for the "how do I?" type questions you encounter. Replete with videos, step by step instructions and shared user content (monitored by Autodesk), this site has made me look like a genius many times for my clients.
4. YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/Autodesk) - This site includes "Getting Started" videos, feature specific "How To" videos, technology previews, and is a great springboard to user generated content as well.
5. LinkedIn/Twitter - I've listed these resources as a single entry because I frequently will "retweet" good tweets on my LinkedIn site (shameless plug - click here- Trevor Fite). A number of my clients will check the LinkedIn site occasionally for updates on service packs, training classes, and new technology, using my site (and my choices) as a filter for the numerous tweets I receive. If you are a fan of Twitter, I generally tweet/retweet 10-12 times a week, occasionally 3-5 times in a day. Check out who I follow on Twitter (https://twitter.com/TFiteASTI) for a good mix of Autodesk and related technology tweets.